Multiple tier concrete grave box construction



Nov. 24, 1959 H. J. BLASIUS ETAL 2,

MULTIPLE TIER CONCRETE GRAVE BOX CONSTRUCTION 7 Filed Nov. 26. 1954 sSheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 24, 1959 H. J. BLASIUS ET AL 2,913,895

MULTIPLE TIEE CONCRETE GRAVE BOX CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 26, 1954 5Sheets-Sheet 2 192' Mn forts 67 722 a 72 .7 8/05 z as Nov. 24, 1959 H.J. BLASIUS ET AL 2,913,895

MULTIPLE TIER CONCRETE GRAVE BOX CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 26, 1954 5Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent MULTIPLE TIER CoNCRETE GRAVE BOXCONSTRUCTION Herman J.Blasius, Forest Park, and Richard G. Reichle,Riverside, 111., assignors to American Wilbert Vault Corporation, ForestPark, 111., a corporation of lillinois Application November 26, 1954,Serial No. 471,250

1 Claim. (Cl. 72--7) This invention relates to grave boxes and moreparticularly to multiple tiered grave boxes adapted foruse incemeteries.

Heretofore in the art it has been common practice to use in cemeteriesgrave boxes made of concrete and deposited in the grave opening toreceive the casket prior to the time the grave opening is filled withthe earth previously removed therefrom. In many of the large cities itis now common practice to inter one or more caskets directly above theother in a single grave opening and one result of this is that thesingle tier concrete grave boxes heretofore used are unsatisfactorywhile, at the same time, there is a growing demand for concrete graveboxes which will permit multiple burials in a single grave opening.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved multiple tier concrete grave box construction which is adaptedto be used for making multiple interments one above the other in asingle grave opening.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedmultiple tier grave box construc- Patented Nov. 24, 1959 at 10, andcomprises an upper grave box unit 11 and a lower grave box unit 12. Theupper grave box unit 11, like the lower grave box 12, is formed ofreinforced concrete and comprises a body or receptacle portion whichincludes a pair of end walls 13, side walls 15, and a bottom wall 14 inwhich combination casket rests and box handling clevises 18 areembedded, and a top wall or cover unit 16 which is the top provided withsuitable handles 17 embedded. in the concrete thereof to facilitatehandling and placement of the cover unit on the body portion of the newgrave box unit.

The lower grave box unit 12 likewise comprises a body or receptacleportion which includes a pair of side walls 20, and a pair of end walls21, and a bottom wall 19 in which suitable casket rests 22 are embedded.

In the practice of the present invention we form a peripheral ormarginal groove 25 in the outer portion of the bottom wall 14 of theupper grave box unit 11 and in the practice of the present inventionthis peripheral or marginal groove 25 enables the bottom wall 14 of theupper grave box unit 11 to be nested upon and above the lower grave boxunit 12 by inserting the upper grave box unit 11 on the lower grave boxunit 12 in the manner shown in the drawings, so that the upper portionof each of the side walls 20 and end walls 21 of the bottom grave box 12extend into the marginal groove 25 in the upper grave box unit 11 inwhich they are suitably sealed by means of a suitable sealingcomposition 26 (Fig. 2).

Similarly, the bottom wall 19-of the lower grave box unit 12 is providedwith a marginal or peripheral groove 27 so that the body portion orreceptacle portion of the lower grave box unit 12 may be usedselectively either as tion madeof concrete and which is so constructedandarranged that the receptacle portions of the new grave boxconstruction may be used selectively in either an upper or lower portionin the grave opening, and in which the cover construction is such thatit may be used interchangeably upon either the upper or the lower gravebox unit.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved multiple tier concrete grave box construction embodying aplurality of grave box units which may readily be stacked one upon theother and arranged in position in a single grave opening without beingdislodged therefrom.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent fromthe following description and claims and are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show preferredembodiments of the present invention and the principles thereof and whatwe now consider to be the best mode in which we have contemplatedapplying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodyingthe same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes maybe made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing fromthe present invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a multiple tier grave box embodying thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view thereof on line2--2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view on line 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing certain featuresof the construction of the new multiple tier grave box.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in thedrawings, where it is generally indicated box unit or as the body orreceptacle portion of a lower grave box unit, as may be seen from thedrawings.

Likewise, the cover 16 of the upper grave box unit 11 has a rabbettedmarginal or peripheral groove or channel 28 formed therein and extendingtherearound to receive the upper end portion of the side walls 15 andend walls 13, and the cover 16 is hermetically sealed on the bodyportion of the upper grave box unit 11 by means of suitable sealingcomposition 26 such, for example, as an asphaltic sealing composition.

Suitable drain openings 30 are provided in the side walls 20, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

In the use of the new multiple tier grave box of the present inventionmultiple interments may be made in a single grave opening by insertingthe body portion or receptacle portion of the lower grave box unit 12 inthe grave opening and placing the casket on the casket rests 22whereupon a suitable asphaltic or like sealing composition 26 may beplaced in the marginal groove 25 of the receptacle portion of the uppergrave box unit 11 which may then be laid upon the lower grave box unit12 to complete the sealing of the latter. When the parts are so arrangedthe body portion or receptacle portion of the upper grave box un.t 11serves as the cover of the lower grave box unit 12.

The cover 16 of the upper grave box unit 11 may then be laid upon theside walls 15 and end walls 13 of the body portion or'receptacle portionof the upper grave box unit 11, without sealing it thereon, and thegrave opening closed until such time as it is necessary to make a secondor multiple interment, whereupon the grave opening may be opened and thecover 11 of the upper grave box unit 11 removed from the body portion orreceptacle portion of the upper grave box unit 11. The casket may thenbe placed in the receptacle portion of the upper grave box unit 11, onthe casket rests 18, and the marginal or peripheral groove 28composition 29 and the cover 16 of the upper grave box unit 11 thenplaced in the receptacle portion of the upper grave box unit 11 so as tocomplete the closing and sealing of the latter.

The side, end and bottom walls of the upper grave box unit 11 and thelower grave box unit 12 may be reinforced by means of suitable wire meshor like reinforcing material as 23.

It will be noted that the parts of the new concrete grave boxconstruction are so constructed and arranged that the cover or closuremember 16 of the upper grave box unit 11 may likewise be used as thecover or closure member upon the receptacle portion of the lower gravebox unit 12 when the latter is used as the upper grave box unit.

It will further be noted that while in the drawing only two grave boxunits 11 and 12 have been shown and the invention is not limited to amultiple tier grave box unit which includes only two grave box units butincludes multiple tier grave box construction including three or moregrave box units. Hence, in the claim where the expressions upper gravebox units and lower grave box units, and similar expressions, areengaged, it is to be understood that these expressions are intended todefine the relative functions of the grave box as being arranged oneupon the other, and we do not imply that there are only two grave boxunits in the multiple tier grave box construction defined in the claim.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description, considered inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, that the present inventionprovides a new and improved multiple tier grave box construction havingthe desirable advantages and characteristics, and accomplishing itsintended object, including those hereinbefore pointed out, and otherswhich are inherent in the invention.

We claim:

A concrete grave box assembly comprising a plurality of nested similargrave boxes, each box defining a receptacle having integrally formedside, end and bottom walls of substantially constant thickness, theperipheral edge of the lower surface of each bottom Wall being notchedcompletely therearound defining downwardly facing horizontal surfacesand outwardly facing vertical surfazes, said horizontal surfaces beingof a width substantially equal to the thickness of said end and sidewalls of the box immediately therebeneath and said vertical surfacesbeing of a height to project a substantial distance into the open upperend of an underlying box and abutting the inner surfaces ofcorresponding side and end walls of such underlying box whereby thelower wall of each box other than the lowermost box forms a cover forthe box immediately thereunder, the inside surfaces of correspondingside and end walls of all of the boxes being substantially coplanar,sealing composition disposed between said horizontal surfaces and theupper edges of the side and end walls of an underlying box whereby theweight of the uppermost box of each pair of adjacent boxes forms ahermetic seal for the underlying box, a plurality of clevises embeddedin the lower wall of each of said boxes and projecting upwardly from theupper surface of the associated bottom walls, reinforcing means embeddedin the side, end and bottom walls of each of the boxes, and a removablecover having a marginal groove formed in its lower surface definingdownwardly facing horizontal surfaces and outwardly facing verticalsurfaces, said last mentioned horizontal surfaces being of a widthsubstantially equal to the thickness of said end and side walls, theupper edge portions of the side and end walls of said upper grave boxextending into said marginal groove in said cover member, and sealingcomposition disposed between said last mentioned horizontal surfaces andthe upper edges of the side and end walls of the upper grave box forhermetically sealing the cover with respect to said upper grave box.

